News

I would like to take this opportunity just to check on the welfare of all residents of the Village of South Blooming Grove. I hope that everyone is maintaining their physical and mental health. If anyone needs anything at all, please do not hesitate to reach out to Village Hall or to me directly. We may be able to help to you ourselves or we can connect you with services that are available through the county.
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Please know that although our Village Hall is abiding by all rules set forth by New York State on Pause, we continue working. Personally, I am in the office every day. Staff members come in on a rotation schedule otherwise they are working from home. I am contact via phone and email with all board members as well as professionals.

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NEW YORK STATE ON PAUSE EXTENDED Governor Cuomo has ordered the extension of New York State on Pause until May 15th.  Only  essential businesses will be open and only essential workers should be reporting to their places of employment. Governor  Cuomo has also said all New Yorkers must wear face coverings when social distancing is not possible, including on public transport, in stores and on crowded sidewalks.

Hello, everyone.  I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter and Passover and is healthy and safe. I just wanted to give you an update on what’s been going on at Village Hall and around the village. Last week we had not one but two water main breaks on Dallas Drive and the second one caused a Boil Water advisory which was terrible timing.  The town along with our own water department did both repairs for us.  As I’m sure you’re all aware, our water problems have been multiplied since mostly everyone in the village is home and sending water usage through the roof.  We have had to truck in water to just to meet demand for almost two weeks now. Ricky has been working very hard not only with the breaks but also replacing pumps and assisting with work on Well 3- we had 400’ of pipe replaced which was old and filled with sediment. Our hope is that water production will increase, and we can ease up on trucked in water which is costing the village thousands of dollars. We still have well over a hundred cases of water available for pick up for anyone who may be in need. Our letter sent to the governor along with the mayors and supervisors from neighboring municipalities did get some attention although not the outcome we wanted which was to make the Town of Palm Tree a containment zone like the one created by Governor Cuomo in New Rochelle.   Two positives did result from our letter though—mostly all of our villagers have been acting in a very socially responsible manner and we have had no trouble with large gatherings over the Passover and Easter holidays.  Secondly, I have been included on daily updates from the governor’s office through his Hudson Valley representative. I am still on daily conference calls with Town of Blooming Grove as well as Orange County. Kerry, Holly, and Chris have been rotating days in the office so someone is always there to answer the phone, hand out water, and meet with people at the window should they need.  Otherwise, they are all working from home and can be reached via email.  They have access to their desktop computers. We are hoping to do water reads at the end of this month and send bills out shortly after.  I will keep you posted on that. As you know, the village election has been postponed indefinitely.  Again, I will keep you posted. According to Governor Cuomo’s most recent update, we know we are maintaining our current social distancing protocol until at least April 29^th.  Please be safe and if you are able, please support local businesses and restaurants who are struggling. As always, please give me a call if you have any questions or concerns. Best regards, Mayor James LoFranco

Loss of pressure in Village of South Blooming Grove Water District 1, Worley Heights This Boil Water Notice applies to customers in Water District 1, Worley Heights pressure zone; namely the following streets: Austin Court, Dallas Drive, Fort Worth Place, Galveston Drive, Houston Avenue, Kingsville Drive, Midland Court, and San Marcos Drive.  If you lost pressure or did not have water, you are in the effected area

BOIL YOUR WATER BEFORE USING

Bring tap water to a rolling boil, boil for one minute, and cool before using.  Or use bottled water certified for sale by the New York State Department of Health.  Boiled or bottled water should be used for drinking, making ice, washing dishes, brushing teeth, and preparing food until further notice. At about 10:00 a.m. on Monday, April 6, 2020 and continuing into today Tuesday April 7, 2020, the water system lost pressure due to a water main break on Dallas Drive.  When water mains lose pressure, it increases the chance that untreated water and harmful microbes can enter your water. Harmful microbes in drinking water can cause diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, or other symptoms and may pose a special health risk for infants, some elderly, and people with severely compromised immune systems.  But these symptoms are not just caused by microbes in drinking water.  If you experience any of these symptoms and they persist, you should seek medical advice. The break was repaired on Tuesday afternoon and we are bringing in tankers to pressurize the system; water service has been restored. Samples to lift the boil water order are to be taken on Wednesday and Thursday. It is likely that you will need to boil water for the next few days until we receive the results of the samples.  You will be informed when tests show that you no longer need to boil your water.  Updates and future notices will be posted on the Village’s website villageofsouthbloominggrove.com. For more information, please contact: Village Water Department at (845) 783-4622, Village Hall at (845) 782-2600 or the Orange County Health Department at (845) 291-2331. Please share this information with other people who drink this water, especially anyone who may not get this notice directly .

Dear residents of South Blooming Grove: As your mayor, I am on conference calls with county and municipal leaders daily receiving updates on how we are to comply with the CDC guidelines regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.  In accordance with Governor Cuomo’s “New York State on Pause” Village Hall remains closed to the public until April 15, 2020.  We have also made the decision to suspend all village meetings, including Village Board, Planning Board, and Zoning Board of Appeals. We encourage people to follow the CDC guidelines when practicing social distancing; no group gatherings and when in public, remain no less than six (6) feet from one another. We’ve received an increased concern over groups of people still gathering together. While you have some extra time on your hands, I urge all citizens to complete the 2020 Census form as it directly impacts state and federal funding to our village.  Our share in sales tax directly impacts our annual budget as a revenue line in turn affecting property taxes. Without a proper Census count from our village, we will be shorting ourselves not only sales tax revenues but also grant funding.  Please mail in your form, complete it over the phone or fill it our online by clicking here https://2020census.gov/en.html. The Meals on Wheels Program continues to service our seniors with home deliveries. Anyone needing information for this program should contact the Office for the Aging at 845-615-3700. The County has activated a hotline for all concerns at 800-832-1200. While the water is safe for consumption, the village has received multiple calls from residents stating they were unable to purchase bottled water at local supermarkets.  The village has been able to secure several cases of water for those who may need it.  Please call Village Hall to arrange to a pickup. At this time, we are unable to accept cash payments as our office is closed.  Tax payments can be placed in a sealed envelope and left in our locked mailbox in the front of Village Hall, which is located at 811 Route 208, next to the firehouse.  We are holding off on water billing for at least another month. If you have any questions or concerns, please call Village Hall at 782-2600 as we are attempting to answer all calls personally as well as retrieving messages and returning all calls.  If you have an emergency, please call the Blooming Grove Police Department. Stay safe. Best regards, James A. LoFranco